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November 2004 Collector´s Club
2002 Cadence Coda
I like Ben Smith´s wines. He makes wines that are approachable, nuanced
and powerful - a rare combination. They´re also typically a bit on the
pricey side, which makes it hard to include them in this club, until now. His
2002 Coda, made from a blend of 43% Cabernet Franc, 28% Merlot, 23% Cabernet
Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, is a wine designed to be both affordable - it´s
$22.00 - and consumed young, although he does say that losing a few in your cellar for
a few years might just provide you with a treat! There´s a reasonable
amount left (although production is only 460 cases), and it would go great with your
turkey day repast.
2002 Domaine Cordier Pere et Fils Saint-Veran
Here´s another thing I like: affordable white burgundy. As with most
white burgundies, it´s made from 100% Chardonnay, and comes from a relatively
new sub-region, located between the Maconnais and Beaujolais. Typically, it´s a
bit fuller-bodied than wine from either the Maconnais (think Pouilly-Fuisse) or the
Cotes-Chalonnaise, and will keep for about four years - although it´ll do very
well at Thanksgiving (notice a theme developing?). It´s $25.00, and
mostly gone.
2002 Monte Negro Ribera del Duero
Here´s an elegant Tempranillo - based wine for your, ahem, Thanksgiving
dinner. As with most Ribera del Duero wines, it´s food-friendly in a big
way; strong enough to keep up with the dark meat (or ham), with enough finesse to
handle the lighter breast meat, and good acidity to bring out the flavors of all your
holiday repasts. There´s plenty around at $18.00.
2003 Laurence Feraud Pelican Vin de Pays d´Oc
Laurence Feraud is the genius behind one of my favorite Chateauneuf-du-Pape
producers, Domaine de Pegau, and she certainly knows what to do with Grenache and
Syrah, which is what this wine is crafted from. Yes, it´s food-friendly,
for you-know-which-holiday. It´s from the Languedoc region of the south
of France, as is our next wine, and it´s $9.50, as is our next wine.
There´s a goodly amount around.
2000 Chateau Lauret Pic Saint Loup Coteaux du Languedoc
I love wines from Pic Saint Loup! I keep finding more affordable wines with
incredible complexity and flavor from here than anywhere else. The region is
located in the hills above Montpelier in the south of France, which happens to be one
of my favorite cities in France. There´s a reasonable supply of this at
$9.50.
2002 Scarboreaux Willamette Valley Chardonnay
I love practical jokes. Especially when they poke fun at staid wineries.
The label of this inexpensive ($11.50) Oregon Chardonnay is a direct copy (read:
ripoff) of the great Burgundy house, Domaine Romanee-Conti. It´s
un-oaked, and does not go through malolactic fermentation, which leaves the basic
Chardonnay fruit untouched. There´s a good amount of it around.
Enjoy!
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